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Re: Backyard willow tree 12 years 8 months ago #839

  • BassandBonsai
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Well, I visited my local bonsai club, and even though I didn't get any new willow information, I participated in a workshop and came home with a new texas ebony! I also have successfully rooted a little branch from my big willow, and the air-layer wrappings are coming off in a week or so. Here are the pics!

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Re: Backyard willow tree 12 years 8 months ago #843

  • Leslie
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Hi Hannah,

You're doing amazing work! I think it's wonderful that you are air-layering a good sized branch from the old Willow to replace it with the new. I guess that's what they mean by "a chip off the old block"? :lol: Congrats on your success with rooting the small Willow and on your new Texas Ebony!

Way to go! Please keep us posted of any new developements and thanks for sharing.

Leslie

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Re: Backyard willow tree 12 years 8 months ago #929

  • Pinkham
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Hey,
I was just curious as to how the air layer did on this willow?

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Re: Backyard willow tree 12 years 8 months ago #931

  • BassandBonsai
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Hmm, I don't know yet! I haven't removed the wrappings, but I plan on doing so within the next week. I'll let you know when I do!

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Re: Backyard willow tree 12 years 8 months ago #935

  • BassandBonsai
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Alright, I did it! The wrappings are of, and I'm glad I took them off early because there was an earwig nesting in the sphagnum moss! I had to use an actual saw instead of the more usual scissors or garden clippers, but it's now comfortably lounging against the back porch in a bucket of water. And since one of the smaller branches was going to be submerged, I cut that off and made it into a completely separate tree, also in water, a ceramic that mom thought would make a good pot. I'm glad I waited on drilling a hole in the bottom.
I'd like to ask you guys for some advice, though. One of the members at the bonsai meeting said that whenever I cut a branch off of a tree, I should defoliate the branch because the leaves suck all of the water out of the stem. Should I? I've got them both directly in water like I did with the first branch, (which, by the way, is doing awesome.) and I'm going to wait until they grow more roots before I pot them in soil, but should I touch the leaves?
I'll post pictures tomorrow, but by the time I placed them and tied them to the deck to keep them from falling over, it was too dark.

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Re: Backyard willow tree 12 years 8 months ago #938

  • Pinkham
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You can pull them off..or not. Either way they will root. I kept mine on just so I wouldn't have to look at a stick.
After they grow roots and you plant them, put that pot in water for another few weeks..about 25 percent submerged. the roots still need a lot of water. then take it out and water as normal. That's what I did to mine and they are all doing great :)

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Re: Backyard willow tree 12 years 7 months ago #939

  • leatherback
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Why did you put it in a jar of water? It shouldhave plenty of roots after the air-layering, and you should be able to plant it straight away (Else you have cut it too early, which makes it a little pointless to do the airlayering..?

In any case; I would personally defoliate, but not completely: If I do have work which damage roots I remove half of each leaf where possible. This drastically reduces the water requirements of the plant, but still leaves the plants' engine 'idling'

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Re: Backyard willow tree 12 years 7 months ago #943

  • BassandBonsai
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Ok, I've spent most of the day outside in my "garden." (silly homeowner's association says we can't have them, but their only real power is turning off the pool pass, and that doesn't work so well when your mom's the one who regulates the chemicals :P ) But anyway, I took lots of pictures, before and after for everything.
1. the first little branch before
2. the first little branch after
3. the air-layered branch before
4. the big air-layered branch after
5. the big air-layered branch after different view
6. the little branch cut from the air-layer before clipping
7. the little branch cut from the air-layer after clipping
I would do an after clipping picture for the big air-layered branch, but it started raining before I could finish. Thanks for the advice on the half-leaves. Also, the air-layered branch did root, just not enough to support it at the size it is. I took the wrapping off early due to the insects nesting in it. But even though it didn't root as much as I would like, I now have experience with the technique and know what to do next time to make it more effective. :)

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